To conclude our series on designs at the London 2012 Paralympics we're focussing on the most talked-about equipment used at the games - carbon-fibre prosthetic blades inspired by the hind legs of a cheetah. More

Discus-thrower Derek Derenalagi competes using a custom frame that's specially designed to meet strict rules for Paralympic athletics, which state that any equipment can be used so long as he can get set up and ready to compete within 60 seconds. More

The London 2012 Paralympics begin tonight and over the coming days we'll be featuring a selection of cutting-edge sportswear designed for the competing athletes, starting with the Nike Spike Pad as worn by "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius. More

Psychology is on an equal footing with technological advances when designing sportswear to improve an athlete's performance, Nike's creative director for the Olympics Martin Lotti told the audience at a talk hosted by Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs at the Nike+ House of Innovation at Selfridges last night.

"It's not just about lightweight," he said. "It's about looking good as well as the psychological element. We see performance on all levels: environmental performance, psychological performance, physical performance." More